This is Life
by Kyoto-Caitlyn
Summary: Just a collection of short stories from How To Train Your Dragon.  It combines the Book and the Movie into one timelines and follows not just Hiccup's adventures, but his parents as well.
1. The Meeting

It was the warmest day Berk had seen in over three years and I had to take advantage of it. My father was down at the hall, so I had all the time in the world. I grabbed my axe and practically ran from the chief's house like there was no tomorrow. Into the forest I ventured, hoping to find some good hunting. The sun beat down on me and I smiled brightly. I was a young man at the time, around eighteen or nineteen, and I had my whole life ahead of me. Stoick the Chief of the Hairy Hooligan tribe had a nice ring to it, and I couldn't wait for my father to hand over my birthright. I have quite the lineage; my grandfather was none other than Grimbeard the Ghastly, the first Viking to train a dragon, thus starting a long tradition of training dragons on Berk. My father was a so-so Viking, but he was getting older, slower. I felt it was time for me to live up to my lineage.

I trotted deeper into the forest and threw my axe down in defeat; no animals were coming out today. I leaned up against a tree and closed my eyes. I released a heavy sigh. From behind, I heard a giggle, barely inaudible. I opened my eyes and gazed into the clearing ahead of me.

"Hello?" I called out, only receiving the same beautiful giggle as before. I slowly made my way into the clearing, the sun beating down harder with out the cover of trees. With out warning, a body collided with my own and I fell to the ground. The giggle sounded once more.

"Who are you? What do you want?" I called. All I heard was that giggle. Frustrated, I rolled over and pinned my mysterious attacker to the ground.

"Gotcha." I mocked, then I blushed. The cutest girl in the village, Valhallarama, was pinned beneath me, still giggling. Her hair was a reddish-brown; the most beautiful color I had ever seen.

"Oh, I do apologize, Valhallarama." I blurted out, releasing her from my grip. She smiled and dusted herself off.

"Don't worry about it. _I _attacked you, remember?" She responded, smiling. My heart always melted at her smile.

"Right…So, what are you doing out here alone Valhallarama?" I asked. She got closer to me and giggled.

"Well, big chief-man-in-training, it was such a nice day, I thought I'd go climb trees." She said. I shook my mop of bright red hair and chuckled.

"You're an odd one, lass." I said, laughing.

"Oh, am I? I pinned you, remember?" She mocked. I scowled.

"I…uh…wasn't expecting it…that's all." I bluffed. She smiled and took my hand.

"Come climb trees with me, Stoick." She invited. I blushed.

"Aren't we a little old for that? I mean, it's child's play!" I said, trying to sound insulted when I was really flattered. She snorted.

"I wouldn't say that. I say Tuffnut and Spitelout climbing trees yesterday. It'll be fun!" She said and melted my heart once more.

"Well, okay, Valhallarama. Just this once." I agreed, trying to sound reluctant. Valhallarama smiled brightly and led me away from the clearing.

"Please, Stoick, call me Val." She insisted. I nodded and hid my face so she wouldn't see me go bright red in the face.

We climbed trees for hours. Just before dusk, Valhallarama showed me her favorite tree on all of Berk. We climbed to the peek and watched the sun slowly leave his perk above the clouds. As the sun left, Valhallarama placed her hand on mine; it was warm, soft, beautiful. I turned to her and my green eyes met her brown. We both blushed but didn't fight the feeling any more. I leaned in close, so close I could feel her warm breath tickling, no teasing, my lips. I curled my lips and kissed her. Valhallarama kissed me back, no hesitation in her movements. We got closer and closer, kissing more and more passionately. When the kiss finally broke, the sun had left our presence.

"Oh….Val….I…" I began.

"I think I love you, Stoick." She finished, replacing her beautiful name with my own. I took her hand and pulled her body next to my own, her body heat radiating and mixing with my own. She laid her head on my chest and it was then that I knew that we were to be married. She had chosen me over all other suitors just because I climbed trees with her one warm afternoon and fell in love.

But being chief didn't hurt my chances either.


	2. Birthday

Rain just continued to drip endlessly on my windowsill and I watched it go. I brought my hand to my face and allowed my face to rest in my open palm. I couldn't wait for the love of my life to come home.

"Stoick, darling, are you here?" I heard Val call. I instantly perked up.

"Yes, I am home." I replied, standing up. I scooped her up into my arms and planted a big, wet kiss on her face.

"Careful, you wake the baby." She giggled, gesturing to her swollen belly.

"Right, sorry." I said smiling, rubbing her beautiful belly. We had being trying for a child for two years. Every other young couple was already expecting a child, or had a toddler wondering aimlessly in their home. We haven't had such luck. Every time Val was with child, the baby would die a couple months along. We would take a break, then try again, but with no success, until now. It's been seven months, and the baby was kicking inside my wife. We knew he or she would survive.

The baby wasn't the only change in our lives; my father had retired, making me Chief of the tribe. I had a lot on my plate, but still found time for my wife. Val was my whole world and now the baby was a part of it.

Val touched my hand and tickled it. I chuckled at her touch.

"I'll bring you a drink," She said, pulling away from me. I smiled and ran my fingers through my growing facial hair. I sat down on my favorite chair, and waited for Val to return. I shut my eyes, but the sprang back open when I heard a glass shatter. I bolted up and ran into the kitchen to find Val hunched over the table, a puddle of water beneath her feet.

"Val…" I said breathlessly. She looked at me, pain in her eyes.

"There's something wrong," She whispered. My eyes grew wide at her words: The baby was coming…now.

I ran to the Healer's House to see if he could stop the labor. Val was breathing, attempting to stay calm, but would squeeze my hand at every contraction. I laid her down on the bed and watched the Healer work. He was scowling, then shook his head.

"Sorry, Chief, I can't stop the birth. Your baby is coming." He told me. I went to Val's bedside and took her hand.

"It'll be alright, Val. We're saving this one." I reassured her. Val nodded, her face flushed and hair a mess; forehead dotted with sweat.

"I know, Stoick. This is our child." She said, before screaming in pain.

It took six hours, but in the end it was worth it. A blood-curdling shriek filled the air as I watched the Healer take my baby away from us. Val weakly reached out to it, but gave up. I stroked her hair and kissed her forehead. I followed the Healer and watched him work. He severed the umbilical cord and cleaned the baby off. He wrapped the babe in a sheet and gave it to me.

"Congratulations, Chief, you have a son." He said, leaving Val and I alone. A son…a son…my son! I took a look at him and gasped; he was scrawny, boney. I looked in to his face and a pair of huge, green eyes met my own. I held him to my face and he touched my beard. I smiled and gave him to Val.

"Don't worry, darling, he'll grow. He's just small because he's early. Like an early birthday gift." She said breathlessly.

"Let's give him a family name." I suggested.

"Grimbeard?" She asked, jokingly of course. I smiled.

"No, dear. Hiccup. That's my family name. Hiccup Horrendous Haddock. He'd be the third one in our clan to carry that name." I said. Val held him close and smiled, taking this wonderful moment in.

"Hiccup? That's perfect. I love it. I think it suits him." She said. Hiccup shut his wide, green eyes and began to breath deeply. I was happier right then than I had ever been before. Still holding Val's hand, we walked home, a baby heavier than when we left.


	3. Midnight Revelations

I moaned and sat up as I heard Hiccup's little coughs and whimpers in the middle of the night. Val was already up with him; her side of the bed was bare, cold. I rubbed my temples and got up as well. It had been two months with Hiccup and I was tired. He was small, weak, and sick. Always sick. Val and the Healer both said it was because he was two months early, and he'd grow out of his constant respiratory infections. No one could see him, for fear that he'd catch some thing worse than a cold. I sometimes wished that he looked more like Snotlout; big and impenetrable. Not that I wanted a son like Snotlout, however. Snotlout was whiney, grabby, mean. I had made a mental note not to let Hiccup play with Snotlout until he was bigger.

"Hey honey." I whispered as I leaned up against the door frame of Hiccup's nursery. Val looked up and smiled.

"Hi darling. Hiccup's okay; he just need some of his herbs. That's all." Val said, tucking our now sleeping son in. I approached Val; I could see the sleeplessness in her face, her eyes. Hiccup was taking his toll on my wife.

"Val…" I began, not sure how to start what I wanted to say. Hiccup may or may not survive. Being sick all the time wasn't a good sign that he would make it to his first birthday. I half wanted to do the what was thought as the ultimate Viking act of mercy to a weak and sick infant, but I wasn't sure how to tell Val. My eyes met hers and she glared into my soul. She must have known what I wanted to tell her.

"No. He-is-my, no _OUR_ son! I can't believe," She said, turning away from me, her voice strained. I put my hand on her shoulder.

"Okay, okay, I'm sorry. It was just a suggestion. It won't come up again." I whispered. She brushed my hand away. She looked at me, tears staining her face.

"How long?" She asked.

"What?" I replied trying to avoid the subject.

"How long were thinking of murdering my son?" She asked, more hurt than angry.

"Val…it's not murder…exactly. It's leaving him so that he won't have to die of a sickness. It's merciful." I tried to reason with her; that was Viking tradition: Weed out the weak so the tribe will survive. We had no room for weaklings, even if he was the son of the Chief. That's why I barely touched my own son; I didn't want to get close so I could do my duty. It seemed cruel, but that's just Viking life.

"No, it is murder! You want to kill our son! That's why you never touch him, hold him, comfort him. You never go near him! You don't know anything about him! He might be weak, but he's still my son! Your son!" Val said, yelling. I sighed; there was no stopping Val's feelings. I raised a hand in defeat.

"Okay! I get it! Hiccup stays." I said.

"He was before those words left your mouth, Stoick." She said coldly. I could hear Hiccup stirring. His little moans turned to full-blown shrieks and Val glared at me.

"_You_ can take care of him this time, unless he's hungry. He shouldn't be, though." She said, turning to leave. Val flipped her hair and left leaving me with a screaming Hiccup. I turned to his cradle and looked in it. He stopped crying and looked back at me. Hiccup reached a hand out to me and I brushed it away. He looked hurt by my gesture. I sighed and picked my son up. Thinking he might have to burp, I patted his back. Hiccup began breathing rapidly.

"Are you okay, baby?" I asked. I couldn't see Hiccup's face, but I could hear his panting. His chest was heaving, his heart beat rapid.

"Hiccup!" I called to him, knowing he couldn't possibly respond. I then felt something running down my back, and Hiccup's breathing returned to normal.

"Did you just vomit on me?" I asked, holding him so I could see his face. Sure enough, the two month old child had that white substance on his face. Hiccup looked at me and giggled.

"You feel better now, don't you?" I asked, smiling. Hiccup's wide eyes looked at my beard and touched it. I smiled. He thoughtlessly played with my beard as he continued to study my face. It was then that I noticed just how small he was; my hand alone was bigger than him. Hiccup continued to giggle and I chuckled too.

"Hiccup, you need to go back to bed." I said to him softly. Hiccup giggled and put his hand in my mouth. I lightly took his small hand and pulled it out of my mouth. Hiccup looked defeated.

I walked over to the rocking chair my good friend Gobber had made for us and sat down. Hiccup looked around as if he'd never seen this place before, which I knew he had. I began slowly rocking back and forth, attempting to lull my baby to sleep. Hiccup coughed softly, but never took his eyes off me.

"What a pretty color…" I trailed off, his eyes mesmerizing me. Hiccup yawned and slowly shut his eyes. I held him close feeling that same happiness that I had the day he was born. I heard Hiccup's breathing get deep but I didn't want to let him go. I just held Hiccup close to me for a long time, but my own sleepiness got the best of me. I stood up and placed Hiccup in his cradle. I tucked him in just as I saw Val do, and blew out the lone candle that was still burning.

Val was pretending to be asleep when I walked into our room. I took off my soiled tunic and laid down next to her.

"You were right." I whispered in her ear. I rolled over and left her alone. I swear that I could hear I say, "I told you so".


	4. Of Walking and Talking

Despite my initial thoughts and fears, Hiccup made it to eleven months of age, but I was worried. At his age, other babies were walking. Astrid's mother informed me that her thirteen month old could already speak in complete sentences. Hiccup was still crawling. I mean, I saw him pull up on to a low table or a chair before, but he never took a step. He was behind.

One morning, still fairly early, I heard a knock on my front door.

"I'll get it." Val said. Hiccup giggled and followed Val out of the room. I smiled. I heard voices and giggles at the door. I was tempted to see who was at the door, but decided against it. The door closed and Val came back.

"We're watching Astrid today." Val informed me. My jaw dropped. She was so much bigger than Hiccup. She could hurt him!

"Is that a good idea?" I asked, nervous. Val giggled at me.

"Why not? She's just a baby. No big deal, darling." Val said. I turned bright red, but I still had my doubts.

"Well, then, it's a good thing I don't have much to do today. I can help you with the babies." I said, standing up.

"It is indeed, Chief." She said. We kissed and I walked away.

Hiccup and Astrid were sitting on the rug in the middle of the floor. Astrid stood up and began to build with the wooden blocks I had made when I learned Val was going to have a baby. Hiccup giggled.

"I make tower, baby Hiccup! Help!" She squealed. Hiccup smiled and pulled himself up. He was shaky on his feet, but that didn't stop him. Hiccup sighed and put his left foot in front of his right. He was trying to walk. I rushed over to him and took his hands.

"Let me help you baby," I said. He pulled away from me.

"No," He said. His first word and steps, all in one day. I backed away, knowing what was going on; Astrid could walk on her own, so Hiccup wanted to as well.

"Okay, son." I said, sitting on the chair. Hiccup grinned and put his right foot in front of his left.

"Val!" I called, "Hiccup's walking!" I heard Val's footsteps. Val rushed to my side, placing a hand on my shoulder.

"Come on, little Viking. You can do it." I heard Val encourage. Hiccup shakily walked to Astrid and her tower. Hiccup smiled, determination on his face. His determination turned to terror when he lost his footing and tumbled into the tower, knocking it over. Astrid glared at him, tears forming in her eyes. Hiccup began to cry and so did Astrid.

"You b-b-broked my tower!" Astrid wailed. Val took Astrid into the other room, leaving me with Hiccup. I knelt down and got on my belly next to him.

"Baby, it's okay." I cooed. Hiccup shook his head.

"No!" He cried. I took Hiccup's hand and stroked his hair.

"It's just a block tower. You and Astrid can build another one when you calm down." I said. Hiccup shook his head once more.

"No!" Hiccup insisted. I laughed when I saw a glint of mischief in his eyes. He wanted me to play along.

"Well, I guess you're right….that block tower can't be replaced." I said, catching on. Hiccup shakily stood up and put his hands on my shoulders.

"No!" He giggled. I picked him up and tickled his bare feet.

"It's not the end of the world, now is it, son?" I said. Hiccup nodded.

"No…" He said breathlessly.

Val and Astrid returned, Astrid running over to me.

"Baby Hiccup! Play with me!" Astrid commanded. Hiccup nodded and squirmed out of my grasp.

"Okay!" He said. Val looked like she was going to cry in pure happiness. Together, Val and I watched the two build endless towers for the rest of the afternoon.


	5. Disagreements

I peered my head around a corner, waiting. She was coming; I could feel it. My heart began to beat faster as I looked around, confirming it was safe. I attempted to tip-toe from my hiding spot when the monster got me.

"Auggh! Lemme go!" I cried, struggling.

"Give it up, little Viking! You've lost!" The beast whispered in my ear.

"I…never…give…up!" I replied, trying to escape from her grasp.

"I think it's time you changed that." She said and proceeded to tickle me.

"Ah! Momma! S-s-stop it!" I cried.

"You want me to stop Hiccup?" Momma asked me, and I nodded, my face feeling hot.

"Never!" She cried, continuing with this little game of ours. I laughed until my throat was raw. Eventually, she placed me on the floor and knelt down to my eye level.

"So, Hiccup…how old are you now…like two?" She asked teasingly. I scowled.

"No, Momma! I'm three and a half!" I told her, holding up three fingers.

"Oh, that's right. So, since you're such a big boy now, you'd be okay with just Daddy for a few days, right?" She asked. I knew this question was coming. Momma was an adventurer, so she was constantly out of the village. I pondered it; Daddy never seemed…proud of me. He was always too busy to look at the pictures I color, talk about what I wanted to talk about, and he always compared me to my older cousin, Snotlout. Everything I attempted, Snotlout was either a better at it or ahead of me. Sure, I could talk really well and didn't shut up, but still, it hurt.

"Um…no…" I said, my voice trailing off. Momma took my hand.

"Hiccup. I'll be back. It's only for a little while. I'm sure you and Daddy will have a great time together. Right?" She reassured. I put a hand in my mouth and nodded thoughtlessly. She patted my head, took my hand out of my mouth and left the room.

I crawled up the stairs and headed to my room. My Daddy was in the process of making me a big-boy bed, of course Snotlout constantly reminded me that he already had one. I sighed deeply and crawled on to the chair in front of my desk and found a clean piece of paper. I began doodling. I could draw Daddy's hunting dragons, Hookfang and Newtsbreath, really well. Or at lest, I thought they were good. I quickly got bored and left my room. I sat at the top of the stairs and scooted down the stairs.

"Momma?" I called. I headed toward the kitchen, ignoring the nagging need to go to sleep. I leaned up against the wall when I heard voices from the kitchen.

"Why do you always make it about Hiccup! He's not the only member of this family!" I heard Daddy say. I leaned in closer to hear better.

"Yes, but he is our son and you need to look after him while I'm away!" I heard Momma yell. I could hear Daddy hit something.

"Can't the Hoffersons watch him?" Daddy yelled back.

"Hmm, sure Stoick, sure….If he were their son! I don't know why you have such a problem with watching him!" Momma said.

"He's so far behind the other children!" Daddy yelled.

"What? That's absurd! In size maybe…" Momma began but Daddy cut her off.

"Not just in size! He doesn't walk right!" Daddy said. I heard Momma sigh.

"He's just clumsy…"

"That's not all! He's still in diapers!" Daddy yelled.

"That's only at nighttime! And he's been dry for two nights! Just because Snotlout is how you always pictured your son doesn't make Hiccup behind! Hiccup is Hiccup! It's time you came to terms with that!" Momma yelled, ending the conversation. I backed a way from the wall and sprinted up the stairs. I flopped on my bed and cried. Momma and Daddy were fighting….because of me! What did I do wrong? I heard a knock on my door. I sat up and attempted to dry my eyes.

"Come in," I said, my voice cracking. Momma walked in and sat down on my bed.

"It's time to get ready for bed, Hiccup." Momma said. I desperately tried to avoid her eyes, but she was too good for me.

"Hiccup, did you hear the…talk me and Daddy had?" She asked. I nodded.

"Yeah….it was about me…I'm sorry." I said, feeling the tears come back. I tried to blink them a way, but it failed.

"Honey, listen to me. Mommy and Daddy just disagree sometimes, that's all. We're still a happy family. Just because we fight doesn't mean we don't love each other." She said. I wiped my nose on my sleeve and sighed.

"Can I go with you? On your adventure, I mean." I asked. Momma smiled a sad smile.

"No, dear, you can't. You could get hurt. Someday I'll take you with me, when you're older. Just not this time. Don't worry, sweetheart, you and Daddy will get a long just fine. I promise." She said. I laid my head on Momma's shoulder and she patted my head. I stood up and she kissed me.

"Go get dressed for bed, please." She commanded. I nodded. After getting ready, Momma tucked me in and blew out the candle. As soon as she left the room, I bolted out of bed and knelt down. I folded my hands and began to pray.

"Dear Odin. Please make Daddy nice to me while Momma is away and help me stay out of his way. Oh! And be sure to put extra bread in the poor peoples' houses because winter is almost here." I said. I felt sleepy and crawled back into bed and fell asleep quickly.


	6. Nadders

I sat on a rock, waiting for Daddy to finish up his work. He wouldn't let me stay home alone and since Snotlout was a Astrid's house, her mom couldn't watch me. The twins, Ruffnut and Tuffnut Jr., their parents didn't want me near their house; In my three short years of living, I started three house fires, created murals on multiple walls, and killed a rat. I was trouble, and the whole village wouldn't let me forget it. It's not like I meant to do anything wrong; I was just accident prone.

Since everyone refused to let me in their house, I got to run errands with Daddy while Momma was out adventuring. He told me to stay on this rock, and I was planning on staying.

"Hiccup!" I heard my name and found Ruffnut and Tuffnut Jr., snickering in my general direction. I sighed; I didn't want trouble today; or any day for that matter. I hopped off my perch and walked over them.

"Hi…" I said, not wishing to cause problems with my words; I always said the wrong things at the wrong time. It was then that I felt a rock hit the back of my head.

"Ouch!" I cried. The twins were giggling and I turned to find Snotlout holing a couple rocks in each hand. Astrid was behind him, no readable emotion on her face. Snotlout approached me, snickering.

"Hey cousin! I was wondering…wanna play?" He asked. Snotlout was around four and extremely mean to me when ever we "played" together. The twins were just three months older than me and Astrid was two months older. I violently shook my head.

"No thanks. I'm good." I said plainly. Snotlout scowled.

"C'mon. I won't hurt you…much." He said. I backed away, and ran. Though Snotlout was bigger, I was faster. Much faster. I ran into the woods, not thinking about how Daddy told me not to go into the woods alone. Ever.

I ran into the forest and breathed a sigh of relief when I knew Snotlout would give up and leave me alone. I decided that while I waited, I could draw in the notebook that Momma gave me. Grinning wildly, I pulled it out and walked aimlessly in the woods, looking for a good subject.

I heard a low grunt coming from behind the bushes and I stopped dead in my tracks. The sun was high, which meant dragons would be sun bathing at Wild Dragon Cliff. _I couldn't have wondered that far, could I,_ I thought to myself. I continued forward, following the sound of low growls. I crawled between two low rocks and found myself on a cliff. I crawled further and looked down; I saw hundreds of dragons all of different species, laying on rocks soaking up the rare Berk sun.

"Which one should I draw?" I whispered to myself. I searched for a good one and saw a pretty looking Deadly Nadder showing off its scales. My pencil moved rapidly, drawing him to the best of my ability. Satisfied, I decided I should head back. I turned and crawled out, pleased with myself.

As I walked, I heard sticks crack behind me. I was beginning to feel scared, so I walked faster. The faster I walked, the closer the sound got. I spun around to see a baby dragon staring at me with it's huge orange eyes.

"Um…" I said. The dragon looked like a Nadder, so I knew it probably wouldn't hurt me. I reached out a hand and placed it on its head. It purred and tackled me, licking my face. I giggled and brushed it aside.

"I need to go home now. You should too." I instructed, turning to leave. As I began walking the little dragon kept following. I moaned.

"Seriously. Go home please." I said. I kept walking and he kept following. I was starting to get annoyed until I heard a much deeper growl. I froze and turned around. The beautiful Nadder I had drawn was standing there; his pupils like slits in his huge yellow eyes. I gulped and began to run. The dragon pursued, roaring. I ran as fast as I could, but quickly realized that I couldn't out run a Nadder. I stopped and ducked, the dragon passing right over me. I got back up and ran to my left, hoping to confuse him. The Nadder quickly began his pursuit once more and I ran harder. Not thinking, I ran back to the village, hoping someone could help me.

Before I knew it, the Nadder was shooting fire balls at me. I dodged them (he was a terrible shot) ran straight for the village. I ran passed some fishermen and the Nadder followed. I ran back to the center of the village when I tripped and fell. In the spilt second before the Nadder caught up I saw houses a blaze due to the Nadder's incurable rage.

The Nadder caught up and put a huge back paw on my belly. I winced, preparing myself for the inevitable. However, it never came. I looked up to see Daddy fighting him off…and winning too. I sat up and felt someone take me away. I craned my neck to find Gobber taking me home. I smiled.

"Hey Gobber." I said. He chuckled.

"What a mess, eh Hiccups?" He asked me. I nodded.

"Daddy's gonna be really mad…" I said. Gobber nodded.

"Yup." He said. He opened the front door and placed me on the ground. I wondered away to draw some more. Gobber watched me. I remained silent until Daddy got home.

"Where is he?" I heard him ask. I flinched and crawled under my bed.

"In his room. He's been drawing in that notebook Val gave him." Gobber replied. No more words were spoken as I heard Daddy's footsteps coming up the stairs. I was so scared that I was shaking.

"Hiccup!" Daddy yelled, anger in his voice. I stayed quiet, hoping he would give up. Daddy entered my room and peered under the bed.

"Hi Daddy!" I said cheerfully. Daddy rolled his eyes.

"Don't 'hi Daddy' me! Get out from under there." I sighed and crawled out.

"Sit down son." He instructed. I did as I was told.

"Daddy, I…" I began, but stopped. I didn't want Daddy to know that kids were bulling me.

"Hiccup, I am very disappointed in you."

"I know." I said, ashamed.

"You could have been killed! You deliberately disobeyed me! And what's worse; You put the whole tribe in danger!" I sighed and hid my face. He put a hand on my shoulder.

"What happened, baby?" He asked, calling my by my nickname to get me to talk. I sighed.

"Well, I was on the rock when Snotlout threw rocks at me! I ran away from him so I wouldn't get beat up. I ran into the woods and to kill time I drawed pictures. I went to Wild Dragon Cliff and drawed a pretty Nadder. Then I left. When I was walkin', a baby Nadder was there. We played for a while, but I told him that I had to leave. He kept following me then the daddy Nadder showed up and chased me. I tried not to go to the village, but I didn't know wheres else to go." I said, finishing my story. Daddy smiled.

"Hiccup, you need to stand up for yourself. If Snotlout, Dogsbreath or Tuffnut want to fight, then fight them back! It's the Viking way!" He said. I nodded.

"Okay… B-but I don't wanna fight nobody. I'm no good at it." I replied. Daddy sighed.

"Son, fighting and defending yourself are two different things. Now go take a bath; you smell like smoke and it's gross." He tickled my feet and I giggled. I hugged Daddy and went to take a bath, thinking about how I would be the best Viking Berk has ever seen.


	7. Self Defense

My head was high as I trotted through the village. Today, I was determined to defend myself….and not mess it up. I felt the rare warm sun and smiled to myself. I found a warm patch of grass and flopped on it. I took out my notebook and rolled over on my tummy. The grass tickled my face as I began to doodle aimlessly on a blank page. I had no intention of seriously drawing anything today; I was just enjoying the day.

About an hour had passed and I was fighting off the boredom. I had promised Daddy I wouldn't get into any trouble, and boredom was the first link in the trouble chain. I sat up on my knees and put my notebook back in my vest. I sighed and lie down eagle-spread on my back. _CRACK!_ I shot straight up as I heard the branches above my head moving and breaking. Timidly, I craned my neck and squinted my eyes.

"BOO!" I screamed and scurried away from the tree. I heard loud, mocking laughter and saw Snotlout and Dogsbreath jump out of the tree. I smirked; this could be my chance to finally defend my self. I got up, head swelled with pride. As I began to proudly walk to them, I stopped in my tracks; Astrid too was jumping out of the tree. I gulped and kept walking.

"Hey! Look, it's the dragon tamer! Which dragon will you drag into the village today?" Snotlout teased. Dogsbreath released a low, stupid sounding laugh and I shook my head.

"No, no dragons today, dear cousin." I replied. Snotlout snickered and moved to push me. I avoided him and grinned.

"Not today." I said. Snotlout's brow got low. He quickly turned to Astrid and grabbed her hand.

"Hey!" She exclaimed in surprise. Snotlout dragged Astrid in front of himself and Dogsbreath. When neither Astrid or I moved, Snotlout pushed her.

"Then, dear cousin," Snotlout began sarcastically, "Don't fight me. You're not worth my time anyway. I'd just win in five minutes anyways." He teased. I scowled. Astrid shot a glare Snotlout's way.

"I think you could take a _girl_. You can't be that useless." Snotlout said. I could hear Astrid breathing heavily. Snotlout could see his plan failing so he quickly recovered.

"Anyways, Astrid, you won't believe what Hiccup told the chief yesterday after the Nadder incident." Astrid's face softened.

"What did he say?" She asked. Snotlout smiled sheepishly.

"That the whole thing was your fault. That you chased him into the woods and irritated the dragon. The chief is furious with you, Astrid. Not Hiccup." Snotlout lied. My face fell as Astrid turned to me, anger in her eyes.

"You…" She began. Nervously, I stepped away form her.

"N-n-no! I-I-I didn't blame y-you f-f-for it! H-honest!" I stuttered. Astrid grabbed my collar, a fist raised. Instead of bracing myself for impact, I punched Astrid in the tummy before she could punch me. Before she could react, I kicked both her shins, causing her to fall over.

"Liar." I said as I approached Snotlout. I attempted to push him over, but his brute size and strength overcame my under-average size. He snickered and pinned me to the ground. Astrid got back up and sprinted over just to kick my ribs. She glared at me.

"I'm telling!" She yelled and ran away. Snotlout kept my pinned as I struggled to fight him back. I finally gave up and he got off me.

"See ya' round, cousin!" He said. Snotlout and Dogsbreath ran after Astrid and I sat up. My tummy hurt and I broke into a cold sweat. What would Daddy do? Would he be proud of me for standing up for myself, or would Snotlout stretch the truth? I shakily got up and brushed my bottom off. I dragged my feet anxiously through the mud and made my way home, completely ignoring Ruffnut, Tuffnut Jr., and Fishlegs along the way.

I opened the door and slipped quietly inside. I ran as fast as I could to the stairs and breathed a sigh of relief as I began to climb the stairs. About half way up I froze as I heard my dad's low, gruff voice call my name. I flinched and back tracked to face him.

"Daddy!" I said cheerfully, attempting to avoid the subject. Daddy frowned and pointed to his favorite chair. I sighed and made my way there. Daddy sat down on the chair and I sat on his lap. He looked at me, with anger and disappointment in his eyes. I looked away; I couldn't take it when Daddy was mad or disappointed in me. This time he was both. Before he could say a word, I broke down.

"What ever Snotlout said probably was a big lie!" I exclaimed.

"Hiccup…" He tried, but I kept going.

"Astrid was gonna hit me because Snotlout told her something about me that wasn't true! It made her mad and she was gonna hit me, so I hit her before she could hit me! I was gonna stand up to Snotlout too, but then he hit me! Then Astrid hit me! I didn't mean to…" Daddy cut me off.

"Hiccup! Stop talking, please!" He cried. I wiped my nose and settled down. Daddy sighed.

"Hiccup, son, we don't hit girls." I was shocked. Yesterday, he was telling me to hit the first person that looked at me funny. Now he's limiting who I could defend myself against!

"I don't understand, Daddy. She was gonna hit me and…" I trailed off.

"Son, unless she's a member of an enemy tribe, we don't fight girls. We need to treat girls with respect and grace. We don't treat them the same as boys." I shook my head.

"Why? Girls aren't so different. 'Specially Astrid. She's bigger than me even! I thought you'd be proud of me, but instead, you're telling me not to hit her! I won the fight…" I said, rubbing my temples. Daddy ruffled my hair.

"I know, it doesn't make sense now, but as you grow it will. You'll see girls differently as you grow. Then it will make sense." Daddy said. I frowned.

"What about Momma? Did you ever fight Momma when you were little?" I asked. Daddy chuckled and kissed my cheek.

"As a matter of fact, yes. Twice. Once when I was six, another time when I was ten. My father had the same talk with me that I'm having with you, Son. Don't worry. I eventually understood, but when I was your age…no, older! I didn't understand. Don't feel bad." Daddy said. I curled up in his lap and he stroked my hair. From then on I knew to never hit a girl.

Even if she deserves it.


	8. Fiddlesticks

The sun filled my room and I grinned wildly. I sprang out of bed and ran into my parents room. As I entered it, I stopped dead in my tracks; Momma's side was bear. My face fell. I didn't feel like fighting the tears as I curled up on her empty space on her bed and buried my face in her pillow. Dad stirred and turned to me.

"Son? What's wrong?" He asked me. I perked up and looked at him.

"Momma…S-she s-s-said she'd be here today…." I trailed of and wiped my nose on my sleeve. Dad put an arm around my waist and pulled me into his side.

"Hiccup…I know she said she'd be home by today, but she traveled to a far away place this time. It's along journey back to Berk." Dad said. I sighed.

"I know that, but, Dad…" I started. A strange look went across Dad's face.

"Dad? Not 'Daddy'?" Dad asked. I shot him a weird look.

"Huh? Oh, I didn't even notice…." I said, understanding what he was talking about; I didn't call him "Daddy" like yesterday. Today, he was just Dad.

"Uh, anyways," I began, getting off of the uncomfortable subject, "I mean, I really hoped she'd be here! It's my birthday!" I cried, finally getting to the point. Dad sighed and pulled me closer.

"I know, and she wanted to be here. Truly, she did. You mean the world to her." Dad said.

"Yeah…" I replied, still feeling down. Dad tickled my bare feet.

"So, how old are you now anyway? Like four right?" Dad asked teasingly. I brushed his hand away.

"No! I'm seven!" I exclaimed, attempting to sound insulted. Dad chuckled and got up.

"Come, Hiccup. I'm gonna spend the whole day with you, doing what you want to do." Dad said. I instantly felt better.

"Really? Wow, thanks!" I cried happily, smiling again. I got off of his bed and grabbed his hand.

"Thank you so much Daddy!" I slipped. I blushed and looked away from him.

"So, what's with the 'Dad' 'Daddy' thing?" He asked again. I blushed even harder and exhaled deeply.

"Yesterday, Snotlout made fun of me for being almost seven and still calling you 'Daddy'. I didn't like it." I explained, embarrassed. Dad chuckled.

"Son, don't think highly of negative things that people say to you. The negative things are rarely true." Dad said. I smiled and got closer to him.

"So, I can call you whatever I want?" I asked then gasped, "Respectfully, of course!" I recovered, glad I caught myself and spared myself from getting a lecture on respect. Again.

"Yeah, whatever you want, birthday boy." Dad said. I grinned and got as close as I could with out interfering with Dad's walking. And for once, Dad didn't seem to mind.

After breakfast, I asked Hiccup where he wanted to go. He thought for a long time before saying, "Let's just take a walk." I nodded at the simplicity in his request and we left through the back door.

"I like nature, Dad. I think it's fascinating. Like how all the creatures within it live in sequence with each other. I also really like science! I mean, it's like a mystery and…" I stopped listen and beamed proudly. While the other boys had sheer strength and could be ruder than anybody else in the village, my boy had brains. Hiccup was amazing; his vocabulary was possibly bigger than mine, and his heart was three times as big as that. As I held his tiny hand, I couldn't help but feel proud as Hiccup rambled on about the stuff that interested him.

I was lost in my thoughts until I felt Hiccup pulling at my leg.

"Dad? Are you okay? You haven't said anything all day. Have I talked too much…again?" He asked me. I shook my head.

"No. You're fine son. I was just thinking." I replied. Hiccup tilted his head to the left; the side he tilted it to when asking a question or confused.

"What were you thinking about?" Hiccup asked me. I blushed, but it was hidden by my massive beard.

"You." I said simply. I could hear Hiccup giggle and dance a little.

"Really?" He asked with pure delight in his voice. I nodded.

"Yeah." I replied. Hiccup's little chest swelled with pride and joy as we kept walking. He held his head high and walked by me, steps light with happiness. I smiled brightly to myself and at my son.

We walked a little further when Hiccup stopped walking and let go of my hand.

"What's wrong?" I asked. Hiccup looked troubled. He darted to me and grabbed my hand once more.

"I uh…um…" He said, looking away from me. I shot him a confused look and he sighed.

"Dad, uh, can we go back now, please?" Hiccup said. I frowned.

"Why, we've only been out here for an hour." I said, almost pleading with my seven-year-old . He danced a little, probably in anxiety.

"Did something scare you?" I asked.

"Um, sort of, but I really just wanna go home now." He replied. I scowled.

"Hiccup, what's wrong?" I asked again, wishing Hiccup would just tell me the truth. He sighed and looked away from me.

"I, uh, need to go." Hiccup said. I shot him a look.

"Go?" I asked.

"Yeah, you know," Hiccup said rolling his eyes, "_go._ Bad." Hiccup said. I realized what he was talking about and began to laugh.

"Son! We don't need to leave for that! The world is you outhouse!" I said, remembering what my own father had told me when I was younger than him.

"What? But Momma said…" Hiccup began and I raised a hand.

"Momma isn't a boy." I said. Hiccup thought about what I said then understood with a subtle "Oh,".

"Then, I'll be back. Don't leave, okay?" Hiccup asked. I nodded.

"No way I'm going to leave." I said. Hiccup nodded and hurried off. I took this moment to finally burst out laughing at my awkward son.

Just around noon, Hiccup and I arrived in the village square. Hiccup was gazing at the open air markets and stands and I was bored. I hate this sort of thing. I was making small talk with Gobber when I felt someone tugging on my hand.

"Dad! Daddy! Look! Look! Over there! Look!" Hiccup exclaimed with pure delight. I looked where Hiccup was pointing and saw what I thought was an empty building.

"What? What is it son?" I asked. Hiccup bounced up and down and pointed at the building still.

"Remember the fire at that store a couple years ago Dad?" Hiccup asked. I nodded.

"Yeah. By the looks of the building, it's still ruined." I commented. Hiccup shook his head viciously.

"No, you've got it all wrong Daddy! A few months ago, I ran into a foreigner on Berk." Hiccup said. At this, Gobber perked up.

"Oh, I know who you're talking about. He's an Irish feller that I met down at the Hall 'bout two months ago." Gobber said. Hiccup let out a little squeal.

"Yeah! He said that at his home, he and his wife ran something called a book store. Unfortunately, his previous book store burned down with his wife in it. He could bare the sight of his village after that, so he moved here. He found the burned building and for the last few months built a new store there!" Hiccup said, still pointing at the empty store.

"So, you want to go?" I asked him. Hiccup squirmed and nodded.

"Yes! Please Daddy!" Hiccup pleaded. I nodded.

"Of course Hiccup. It's your birthday and I said that we'd go where ever you wanted today." Hiccup must of jumped five feet in the air.

"Yes! Let's go!" Hiccup said running away from me. I waved to Gobber and hurried after my son.

The store was amazing; like nothing I'd ever seen before. Shelves upon shelves of books were attached to the wall with books layered on them. Hiccup was in awe; he loved reading. Hiccup darted from shelf to shelf; wondering which book to buy. I was antsy to get home, however; Val and I had a surprise for Hiccup waiting at home, but I wasn't about to pressure Hiccup. He needed to take his time with everything he did it seemed.

"Where's this book from Caoimhín?" I could hear Hiccup ask the store manager.

"Well," He began in a similar, yet heavy accent, "I got that one in a little harbor in central Europe, north of the Roman Empire. The man I bought it from said it was from The Holy Roman Empire." The owner(what was his name…. Caoimhín?) replied with a smile. Hiccup's eyes widened in wonder.

"What language do they speak in the Holy Roman Empire?" Hiccup asked.

"They speak a lot of languages up there. Mainly Germanic languages like German, Dutch, stuff like that. It's actually very similar to Norse." Caoimhín answered.

"How'd you learn to speak Norse so fast?" Hiccup asked.

"So many questions, young Hiccup. My language is very similar to yours." Caoimhín replied. I smiled down on my young son, so curious and smart at his young age.

"Just one more question Caoimhín, and it's about the book this time." Hiccup announced.

"Ask away." Caoimhín said. Hiccup grinned brightly.

"What's this book called? I don't understand the words. What's it about?"

"In the original language it reads 'Die Götter des Alten' which translates into 'The Gods of Old'. Apparently, this is a one of a kind book; no other copies exist in the whole world. The author is unknown. The book is about a mere mortal who stumbles upon the land of the gods and is granted three wishes. It's a good read." Caoimhín said. I could tell Hiccup was hooked on this book. I walked to the counter and looked Caoimhín in the eyes.

"What do you want for the book?" I asked. Hiccup squealed in delight once more. I smiled at him and ruffled his hair.

"Not much, since it is the son of the chief's birthday. On this most special of days, I'll trade it for…hmm…Don't you make helmets chief?" Caoimhín asked. I nodded.

"Yes sir. And please, call me Stoick." I insisted.

"Then I'll trade for a helmet. We can talk later about when to take measurements for my head." Caoimhín said, handing the book to my excited son.

"Thanks Caoimhín!" Hiccup said as he turned to me, "Thank you so much Daddy!" Hiccup chirped. I smiled and grabbed Hiccup's free hand.

"I'll come by tomorrow and take measurements. You can also pick out materials while I'm here." I told Caoimhín. He nodded and I took Hiccup home.

As we approached our house, the lights were out, just as I planned. Hiccup was still feeling the hand-written lettering of the cover and flipping through the pages to make sure it was all in the language he could understand. I figured that Caoimhín must have translated it himself and kept the original cover on it for authenticity. I opened the door and dragged an absent-minded Hiccup inside. A low fire was glowing and a shadowed-figure sat in my chair. _Perfect,_ I thought to myself. I knelt down to Hiccup's level and looked in his eyes.

"Look over at my chair, Hiccup," I whispered. Hiccup reluctantly tore his eyes from the book and gasped.

"What's that Dad?" He whispered back, his little voice full of surprise. I shook my head.

"I dunno…" I trailed off, trying to sound as worried as he was. "Maybe it's a monster. Or a troll!" I said. I could barely make out Hiccup's wide, green eyes get even wider than usual.

"What should we do?" He cried quietly. I sighed dramatically.

"I think we should talk to it. It could be a nice monster. You should go." I told him. I could hear his breathing become more rapid.

"You think I could?" He asked. I nodded.

"Sure, why not? If anything goes wrong, we can take the monster together, okay?" I encouraged. Hiccup nodded and slowly made his way over. He tip-toed the entire way. As he approached the chair, the monster scooped him up. He screamed, but it soon became laughter and the "monster" began to tickle him. I got up and began to light more candles.

"Momma!" I heard Hiccup cry as I reentered the room.

"Momma! You came home!" Hiccup exclaimed. Val nodded.

"Of course, little Viking. You think I'd miss my precious son's seventh birthday?" She asked. Hiccup shook his head and reached into his vest.

"Look Momma! Daddy bought me a book for my birthday!" He said, shoving the book in her face.

"That's fantastic, sweetheart." Hiccup began to cuddle with her when Val pulled away, mischief in her eye.

"Momma?" Hiccup asked, curious as to what she was doing.

"Daddy and I have a surprise for you." She said. Hiccup sprang up.

"What is it?" Hiccup asked eagerly. Val stood up.

"I don't remember. You have to find it. I hid it somewhere in this house." With that, Hiccup rushed away. I approached Val and pulled her into a kiss.

"Welcome home, my heart." I said. Val blushed and kissed me back.

"Good to be back, darling. I really missed you and Hiccup. I was away for so long. Say, where'd you buy that book?" She asked me. I grinned.

"'Member that Irish man that moved in a few months back? He sold books back home. He collects them. All of them rare and special in their own way. We traded for it. I'm making him a helmet for it." I replied. She smiled brightly.

"Hiccup really seems to like it." Val commented.

"Yeah, he loved in there too. I bet he'll be in there quiet a bit. The owner's quiet fond of him." I said. Val smiled and I could tell that she was proud of her boy.

We caught up while Hiccup was searching, and probably tearing the house up, for his present. Val informed me that the next really big adventure wouldn't before for another couple years. She and her team where tracking Bone Knappers. I was so impressed by Val's stories, yet at the same time I wasn't; I knew she was amazing.

"Oh my gods!" I heard Hiccup scream. I heard his little feet pitter-pattering on the ground and he was standing in the doorway.

"A kitten! For real? Is he really for me?" Hiccup asked excitedly. Val and I nodded.

"He doesn't have a name yet, dear. He's yours to name and keep." Val said.

"Son, keep in mind that he's your responsibility, like a dragon will be in a few years. You'll have to train him, feed him and play with him. Can you handle that?" I asked. Hiccup nodded.

"Of course! It'll be fun! Right, Fiddlesticks?" He asked, looking down at the small ginger tabby. Val and I fought back laughs at the name Hiccup chose. That night, Hiccup went to bed a year older and a kitten warmer.


	9. Plans

"HICCUP!" I awoke with a start when Gobber screamed my name. I rubbed my eyes and looked at the setting sun. I looked down at my blistered hands and sighed. Getting up, I stretched and left my under construction half of the forge.

"Yeah?" I asked sleepily. Gobber was standing near the fire with his huge hands on his hips.

"Don't 'yeah' me! You didn't finish those plans!" Gobber said. I flinched.

"Oh, you mean Snotlout's shield? I'm sorry, but during my break I visited Caoimhín's book store and bought a new book. I must have fell asleep when I was reading it. I'm really sorry Gobber…" I trailed off, guilt filling up my whole frame.

"Sorry? Oh, well that's great Hiccup, but sorry doesn't finish those plans! Or explain to Spitelout why his precious son's shield won't be ready for Thorsday Thursday?" Gobber yelled. I backed up.

"Um, but, but…" I began.

"Hiccup, listen to me! You can't fall asleep working in the forge! You'll get hurt! Do you really want to do this? Does this really matter to you?" Gobber asked, anger in his voice. I nodded, my face flushed.

"Of course! I wanna work with you!" I cried, my face feeling uncomfortably hot now.

"Then stop screwing up!" Gobber yelled. That did it. I felt the warm liquid running down my face, but I didn't care. I slumped against the wall and slid down it. Burring my face into my hands, I wept. I could hear Gobber's footsteps approaching me.

"Hiccup…I'm sorry. I didn't mean that…" He started. I looked up at him.

"Yes you did! I know how the village feels about me! I'm a screw up, a mistake! I can't do anything right!" I cried, not willing to make eye contact. Gobber put a hand on my shoulder.

"Hiccup, that's not true. You're great with your hands and you've got more brain and heart than the whole village combined." Gobber said gently. I looked at him.

"But…but…I'm seven years old and I start fires on a weekly bases. I can't fight, lift anything heavier than my cat…what's brain and heart do you when you're the worst Viking on all of Berk?" I asked. Gobber chuckled.

"Hiccups, being different isn't something to be ashamed of." He stated. I wiped my nose and looked away.

"Easy for you to say." I said. Gobber sighed.

"Look, I'll finish the plans, alright? But tell me something…" Gobber said.

"What?" I asked, not really caring about what he was gonna ask me.

"What's that book of yours about?" He asked. I perked up a little.

"Well, um, it's about Night Furies." I explained. Gobber shifted in the dirt.

"What about Night Furies?" He asked. I shrugged.

"Dunno. Lots of short stories and stuff. The one I'm reading right now is one theory of where Night Furies come from." I explained.

"Sounds interesting." Gobber said, obviously trying to sound interested.

"I think it is. Grimbeard the Ghastly trained one you know. I wanna train one too!" I said, my mind floating away from my low self-esteem.

"Really now? Night Furies are rare you know. And extremely hard to tame and train." Gobber said, repeating facts I had known for years.

"Yeah, but, if I can train one, I can prove to all of Berk that I'm not useless. That I can do stuff with out causing structural damage or chaos in the streets." I said. Gobber stood up and held out a hand for me to take.

"Hiccup, you'll make a great chief someday." Gobber said. I smiled brightly.

"Really? You think so?" I asked eagerly.

"Yeah." I smiled and hugged my giant mentor. Gobber patted my back and hugged me tighter.

"Now," Gobber said, looking at my burned and blistered hands, "Let me help you wrap your hands. Val would kill me if she saw those hands." Gobber said with a little laugh. I nodded, agreeing that my mother would kill him if she saw my hands. What Momma needed to realize, however, is that burns are a part of working in the forge.

Gobber took me back to my unfinished section of the forge and looked for bandages. I sat down on my hand-carved chair and watched him look for the bandages.

"What do you want to do with this place Hiccups?" He asked me. I shrugged.

"Not sure. I was thinking of like a pad of paper on the wall above my desk and a little cup to keep pencils and small tools in. Maybe a pad of paper on the desk too. A bookshelf would great up against that wall there, and hmm…" I trailed off in thought. Gobber chuckled and came back over.

"Brace yourself, Hiccup. This will probably hurt a lot." He said. I winced in preparation and let out a small cry of pain when the bandages touched my sensitive hand.

"There. You're all set. You can head home now kiddo." Gobber said. I got up to leave when a wave of guilt washed over me. I turned to face Gobber once more.

"You know, Gobber, I can finish the plans at home. No big deal." I said. Gobber looked surprised.

"Really? You sure?" He asked with an unusual tone of voice.

"Yeah. I don't want to tell Uncle Spitelout why Snotlout's shield isn't finished, and if we start metal work tomorrow, it'll be done by Thorsday Thursday." I explained. Gobber grinned and handed me the unfinished plans.

"Here you go Hiccup." Gobber said. He ruffled my mess of red-brown hair and I giggled at him.

"I'll send Dad and Momma you're greetings!" I called, leaving the forge. I held the plans close to my chest as I climbed the hill which my house sat a upon. I opened the door and immediately Fiddlesticks got under my feet and tripped me. I fell flat on my butt and Fiddlesticks began licking my boots.

"Fiddlesticks! Don't get under my feet!" I exclaimed trying to be angry with him. However, my anger melted away when he hopped on my chest and began licking my face. I giggled at him and scooped him up as I began to get up. I grabbed the plans and began to go up the stairs.

"Hiccup!"

"Momma! Hi!" I exclaimed. She kissed my head and walked me to my room.

"I laid out some pajamas for you, dear. They're on your bed. How was the forge?" She asked. I shrugged.

"It was okay. I didn't quiet finish these plans, so before I go to sleep, I need to finish them." I explained. She kissed my forehead.

"That's fine, dear. Just go to sleep in a hour or so." She said, leaving the room. I sat down at my desk and began to work.

A hour had passed so I went up to check on Hiccup. His candle was still burning and I sighed; he never listened.

"Hiccup?" I called gently and giggled when I saw him face down at his desk, his breathing slow and heavy. Fiddlesticks was curled up next to his head, sleeping as well. I picked up my extremely light child and tucked him in. I kissed his forehead and blew out the candle.

"Val? Is Hiccup asleep?" Stoick asked. I nodded.

"Yeah, cutest thing. He feel asleep working on something for Gobber. Fiddlesticks fell asleep next to him. It was so cute darling." I said. Stoick embraced me.

"I'm sure. Hiccup's different. I like that he's not like Snotlout, or any of the other kids on Berk. I love my son for his heart, not his strength." Stoick said. I grinned madly.

"I'm glad you finally see." I said, leading him to our room to follow in the foot steps of our young, sleeping child.


	10. Forget and Keep Walking

I knelt in the dirt beside Momma, analyzing her every move. Her movements were almost graceful, if you can call digging holes in the dirt graceful.

"Put the seed in sweetie." Momma instructed. I nodded and gently placed the tiny seed into the hole she dug. Momma got up and brushed the dirt of the hem of her skirt.

"Is that all Momma?" I asked, not sure if I should get up or not.

"Yeah, that should be fine." She said, extending her hand for me to take. I accepted the help and brushed myself off.

"Now what do I do?" I asked; I had never raised a vegetable garden before.

"Well, just check on them once a day. If it didn't rain, water them. Keep Fiddlesticks away from it too." Momma said. I giggled.

"Yeah, he'd dig them up and eat them all up!" I said. Momma pulled me into a bear hug.

"Indeed." She said leading me to the house.

"So…um…You're leaving tomorrow, right?" I asked, a lump forming in my throat.

"Yes, little Viking. You know that." She said in a flat tone. I hung my head.

"Can I come too?" I asked in a small voice. I could hear her sigh.

"Hiccup, we've been going through this every time I leave since you were two. You can't come with me until you're older. And by older, I mean like sixteen." She said. I sighed.

"Yeah, but….I wanna get a picture of the Bone Knapper." I explained somewhat embarrassed. Momma grinned.

"Hiccup, I can sketch one for you." She said. My face lit up.

"Really?" I asked.

"Of course. Now, I keep forgetting this…." Momma asked. A look of concern filled my face.

"What's wrong?" I asked.

"How old are you?" She asked. I wanted to laugh, but when I looked at her, I could tell she wasn't joking. Momma was completely serious. I became very worried and grabbed her hand; something wasn't right.

"I'm eight, Momma, eight! Remember? Dad took me fishing and I hated it, remember?" I explained. Momma nodded.

"Uh…Yes, dear, I remember." She said. I wasn't completely sure. I dug through my memory and could remember instances of Momma forgetting things; Birthdays, dates, people…it was scaring me.

"Momma, you can't go! You're…not…feeling well! You could forget something important and get hurt!" I cried. Momma brought finger to my lips.

"Hush now little one. It'll be alright. Adventuring is what I do and you know that. I'll be fine and sketch a super looking Bone Knapper for you." She said hugging me tighter. I still wasn't comfortable with allowing her to leave, but I knew my words would have no effect on her; she was as stubborn as I was. I nodded and proceeded to wash up for dinner. As I entered the house I could hear Momma say, "What time is it again? Hiccup, where'd you go?"

I didn't look back.

I was in my little corner of the forge, reading. My area was finally finished, shelves filled with books and disorganized papers filled the corner. I had my feet up on the desk, not really reading at all. I couldn't focus at all. Momma and her party was supposed to return yesterday. They hadn't. Gobber was letting me take it easy today; he knew how anxious I was.

"Hiccup, it's almost dark kiddo. You should head home. Stoick will start to worry. He doesn't need another person to worry about." I nodded. I shut the book and placed it on the desk.

"Yeah, good plan." I said, not looking into his face. Gobber sighed. He placed a hand on my shoulder.

"I'll walk you home kid." He said. I nodded, not wishing to walk home alone. I insisted that we hold hands, though.

Half way home, we noticed a scene near the Healer's House.

"What's up?" I heard Gobber say. I broke away from him and sprinted to the building.

"Hiccup! Get back here!" Gobber yelled, but I ignored him. I continued toward the building, pushing people out of my way to get there. I got inside and saw my dad standing there, talking with the Healer.

"Dad!" I called.

"Hiccup!" Dad said, trotting to me and hugging me. Something was wrong. He hugged me tight, and I swore he was crying. I had never seen Dad cry before.

"Dad! What's wrong?" I asked frantically. Dad looked me in the eyes, pain in his face. Tears were streaming down his face. I lost track of them as they dissolved into his massive red beard.

"Hiccup…" He choked, "You're mother…" He didn't have to finish; I tore away from him and shakily approached the bed. Momma laid there, broken, a piece of paper in her hand.

"Hiccup…"She said weakly. I climbed on to the bed and sat next to her, still eyeing the paper so I wouldn't have to look at her burned and bloody face.

"Momma…What happened to you?" I asked, tears forming in my eyes. Momma caressed them away.

"Dragons can be irritable, sweetie. Don't hate them, son. They're gentle creatures if you approach them correctly. Like Squall, Astrid's dad's Nadder. I just didn't approach the Bone Knapper correctly and I got burned." Momma said. I was sobbing now.

"Momma…are you….dying?" I asked, pain in my voice. Momma grabbed my hand and placed the paper in it. She then began to stroke my hand softly.

"I drew your Knapper…" She whispered. I turned to her, looking her in the face.

"Don't go! You're the only one who truly understands me! I love you Momma! Don't leave me, please!" I cried. Momma once more brought her finger to my lips and shushed me.

"Hiccup…all of us have our time. Mine is now. You need to move on. You can, I believe in…"She stopped, her breathing more labored than ever. Dad was now standing at my side, gently stoking my hair.

"I love you both…" Momma managed to whisper. I laid down next to her and cried into her side. Dad tried to pull me away put I wouldn't allow him too. Momma weakly pulled me closer and I listened to her heart faintly beat. After ten minutes of this, her breathing stopped and her heart stopped beating. I looked up and saw the Healer gesture to me. Dad picked me up and held me close. I looked at Momma and silently sobbed. With his free hand, Dad and the Healer place and blanket over her. I buried my face into Dad's massive chest and fell asleep on the way home.


	11. Wet

I woke up and the sky was gray. Fiddlesticks was still snoozing by my head, his belly slowly moving up and down. I sat up and wiped tears from my eyes. I had been crying in my sleep lately; it was strange, even in happy dreams I would cry. It didn't make sense, but then again, nothing did anymore. For three days, Dad and I mopped around and listened to people say, "I'm so sorry for your loss". Dad had made arrangements for Momma's funeral, and today was the day. Dad told me to think of it not as good-bye, but a new beginning for all of us. I knew that was just a front, though; he didn't want me to see him upset, but I could hear the great chief sobbing at night. The first night, we cried together. I couldn't sleep and I wanted to sleep with Dad. Instead, we cried. It had been like that every night after that, but we grieved separately. I would have liked to sleep with Dad more, but I knew he wouldn't like it.

I got out of bed and ran a hand through my hair; it was wet. Always wet. I was always wet lately. It was annoying whether it be sweat, tears, rain water, bath water, or urine, I was always wet. That's right, wet. I sighed; dad wasn't gonna be happy with me. He didn't like that fact that at eight, I was wet. It wasn't like I liked it either, though. He needed to remember that when yelling at me. I shook my head and began walking away.

"Meow?" I turned to see Fiddlesticks looking up at me. I picked him up and cuddled him for awhile. That's all I needed; a good cuddle. I held him close, listening to his steady heart beat and purr and I felt the tears leak out. See what I mean? I was always wet.

I place him on the ground and went into Dad's room. He was still asleep and I carefully crawled into bed with him. I curled up with him and attempted to cuddle with my sleeping father. I felt him stir and sit up.

"Hiccup? What are you doing?" He asked.

"Um…cuddling…" I said in a small voice. Dad looked at me with a look of understanding in his eyes.

"Son, let's cuddle later. We need to go see Momma." Dad said. I nodded.

"Get changed." He said, not noticing that I was wet. Perhaps he was used to it. I nodded and got up. As I left, I swore I heard Dad let out a dry sob. I bet he was looking at the emptiness of his bed.

I shivered; rain water was cold. I huddled up next to Dad and held his hand. Dad didn't protest; today was different. Leaders from different tribes came to say good-bye to Momma. They brought their wives-or husbands- and their children if they had any. One little blonde girl with crazy hair was standing on the dock eyeing me with curiosity and pity all at the same time. Dad got in my ear.

"That's Camicazi, daughter of Big-Boobied Bertha." Dad said. I looked at him.

"The chief of the Bog Burglars Tribe, right Dad?" I asked. Dad nodded and we continued to stare blankly at the rain falling upon the boat were Momma's body was. I strained my eyes to see if I could see her from here. Camicazi was still looking at me. I could also see Astrid, Fishlegs, Ruffnut, Tuffnut Jr., Snotlout, and Dogsbreath looking at me. They looked at me with wonder, fear and pity. I was now Hiccup the Motherless. I sighed and stopped looking at the boat and instead looked at my feet. I still half thought that Momma would come back and we'd all laugh because she was such a jokester. In my heart I knew, however, she was gone. Forever.

The service didn't last long. Before the rope holding the boat to the dock was cut and Momma was left to sail away from Berk, the chief and his family were to pay their last, silent respects to the lost family member. Dad, my grandfather Old Wrinkly, and myself made our way to the boat. Old Wrinkly went first, planting a big, wet kiss on her frozen face. Dad went next, stroking her red hair, and stroking her cold hands. I was last, being a boy of eight and the youngest Haddock living. I stood on my tip-toes and opened her folded hand. I placed a piece of paper in it. I then opened her other cold hand and placed a single flower in it. I kissed her dead, pale lips and stepped away, tears flowing down my face. I ran to Dad, and faced the boat. As Dad and Old Wrinkly cut the ropes, I silently cried alone on the dock, the entire village watching my shaking frame. I raised one hand and gently waved good-bye to the only person in the whole village who understood me.

The rain stopped falling and the people left. Even Dad and Old Wrinkly had left. I remained. I took my boots off and put my feet in the water. I wondered if I had done the right thing; after all, she'd never read that note I gave her. I came to the conclusion that writing how I felt was best, and then giving it to her was also the way to go. I sat with my feet in the water in pure silence until I heard footsteps approach my silent mourning.

"What are you doin'?" A little girl's voice cut the air open. I turned to see Camicazi standing there, hands on her hips. I was surprised to see her; she didn't even know me. Yet here she was, asking me what I was doing. I shrugged.

"Nothing, I guess." I responded dully. Camicazi sat next to me, her already bare feet meeting the water.

"My dog died once." She said in a strange tone of voice. I looked at her.

"What?" I asked.

"Yeah, a dog. I know it's not a mom, but it still hurt is all." Camicazi said. I finally understood; she was attempting to be empathetic.

"Oh, uh, thanks." I said. She punched my arm.

"You're not bad…for a _boy_, I mean." She said. I chuckled.

"I'm Hiccup." I said. She smiled wildly.

"Camicazi. Let's go swimmin'." She said. I gasped.

"Now? But…but, it's almost dark and Dad would kill me…." I stammered. Camicazi stood up and extended a hand to me.

"Do you always do what daddy says?" She asked me teasingly. I thought about it and took the hand.

"Yeah, but I need some fun. I haven't had any in days." I said. Camicazi looked at me like I was Great Odin's Ghost.

"No fun? Let's fix that!" She said. We jumped off the dock and for the first time in four days, I didn't mind being wet.


	12. Changes

Life with out Momma was strange to say the least. I hardly ever slept in my own bed; I really only slept with Dad now. People were always at our house cooking for us and telling us how they felt sorry for us. We didn't want their pity, though. I'm not sure what we wanted.

Suddenly, I was afraid of everything. The dark, loneliness, my own shadow…everything. I always needed to be near Dad. Always. We were inseparable, but only because of me. Astrid said that healing takes time and that being clingy and annoying was my way of doing so. I was worried that I was getting on Dad's nerves, and I'm sure I was, but he wasn't saying anything. I bet Gobber and some other people in the tribe who knew children better than he told him not to upset me. I was hurting, no aching, and I wasn't sure what to do.

Nightmares and Night Terrors plagued my nightly hours. Day time was hard since I was always sleepy and cranky. All the more reason to be hated by the entire village. I was a wreck, but I'm sure Dad was worse. The problem was we wouldn't talk about it. I longed to talk about how I felt, but Dad wouldn't allow it. Every time I or someone else would mention Momma, he'd leave the room. I wanted to talk, but for the first time ever, I felt like I had lost my voice.

"Hiccup…" I lifted my head from Dad's pillow and looked groggily at him. I sat up and attempted to rub sleep out of my eyes though I knew it was useless.

"Yeah…" I managed to say. Dad put a massive hand on my shoulder.

"We need to talk son." Dad said. I knew this couldn't be good. He knew my behavior was off, but he was probably worried since it was going on for so long.

"What about, Dad?" I asked, not wanting to talk about the uncomfortable subject that was about to come up.

"You're acting…strange." Dad began, not sure where to take the conversation. I hung my head.

"Yeah…" I retorted in a small voice.

"Son, I know it's hard to move on from something like that, but you aren't acting right. This whole sleeping in my bed thing night after night can't be good for you. Hiccup, your always….wet." I knew that was coming. I brought my knees up to my chest.

"I'm sorry Dad. I'm not trying to do anything wrong….it's just….I don't wanna…." I gulped, considering not finishing my sentence, "I don't wanna lose you, so I wanna be with you all the time. Is that so wrong?" I finished in a small voice. Dad pulled me into his side and I laid my head down on his lap. He began to stroke my hair gently and kiss my forehead.

"I'm sorry, baby. I guess we could communicate better. It's just…I find it so hard to talk about your mother….I can barely take it. But, if you ever need to talk, about anything Hiccup, don't be afraid. I'll listen." Dad said, but I wasn't convinced; he hadn't listened, not for awhile. He seemed distant, making my fears of him leaving me even more prevalent.

"Daddy….I miss Momma. I don't like this change. Gobber says change can be good, even if it hurts, but….what could be good about this change? This change left our family little and broken. I don't see how that could be good." I said, crying now. Dad sighed.

"Well, now we'll have more alone time. Maybe we'll get closer now." Dad commented. I thought about that; if Dad and I were closer, maybe he'd understand me better and stop shooting down everything I thought was interesting or important. Maybe Dad would listen to me.

"Yeah…that's a good thing." We remained silent for awhile. Silence was broken once more by my small, timid voice.

"So, I can't sleep with you anymore?" I asked timidly. Dad kissed me.

"Only if you try to sleep in your own bed." He said. I bolted up.

"Daddy! Please! I'll…" I began to protest.

"Deal?" Dad said, a little agitated. I grimaced.

"Deal." I said bitterly. I turned away from him, fuming.

"Baby…how's your garden?" Dad asked. I jumped out of bed and quickly looked back at him.

"I dunno! I gotta check! Save me some breakfast!" I called, running down the stairs. I slipped some boots on and sprinted out the door. Fiddlesticks ran after me, probably to pee in my garden.

"Shoo Fiddlesticks! Pee some where else!" I said, shaking my fist at him. Fiddlesticks mewed in protest, but trotted away. I looked at my little sprouts with pure delight. I delicately stroked one and my face felt hot. Fiddlesticks came back and sat next to me, not uttering a single sound. We sat there in the cloudy Berk weather, my tears watering my little sprouts before the rains even came.


End file.
